GILLETTE (AP) - State Democrats should distance themselves from liberal national party leaders whose agenda frequently differs from Wyoming, Democratic Gov. Dave Freudenthal told state party members at a meeting attended by a Democratic National Committee vice chairman.

Wyoming Democrats should instead focus on local issues that relate to Wyoming residents, Freudenthal told about 75 state Democrats Saturday night.

"This is a party that's not afraid of firearms," Freudenthal said. "It's a party where people are interested in whether the governor managed to shoot an antelope with one shot."

"I don't care about Howard Dean," he said, referring to the chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

DNC Vice Chairman Rep. Mike Honda, D-Calif., who attended meeting, acknowledged that the national organizations had slipped.

"We lost touch at the federal level," Honda said. "Our job is to correct this with you."

But Honda was careful to outline a role for the party in future elections, including placing those like Dean in context.

He said Democrats have learned a lot of hard lessons in the last few years and are ready now to move forward.

"We have a hard time deciding what our core values are and what are issues," he said. "Howard Dean gets that. He's going around the country talking to people."

Local policy variances are also something that the DNC can accommodate, he said.

"Different places have different culture, and we have to deal with it," Honda said. "Your politics are pretty good. They're down to earth."

Freudenthal said there is little party ideology in Wyoming, where Republicans control the state Legislature, the congressional delegation and all but the governor's office. Much of the state's business involves partnerships, he said.

"The key for Democrats is to look less for a victory of party and more for a victory of purpose," Freudenthal said. "That purpose for the state and local - I've given up on the federal - is to turn enterprise to helping people."

Freudenthal and Honda both agreed on how the party could gain more power: Focus on local elections and local issues.

Party members at the meeting said they weren't concerned about the differences between Honda's and Freudenthal's remarks.

Although Les Vasey, a Kemmerer resident, sees some tensions between the state and national party, he said they are normal, healthy differences.

"There's nothing negative about it."

Karen Turner, a Campbell County resident, said she understands why Freudenthal paints of darker picture of the DNC, although she doesn't totally agree. The big problem she says is that the party's candidates give up too easily.

"We need people who aren't afraid to put themselves forward," she said.

However, when asked whether this is the year for big Democratic gains in Wyoming, Freudenthal responded in characteristically candid fashion: "I wouldn't hold your breath."

Still, two names surfaced at the meeting as potential congressional candidates next year.

Dale Groutage, a Fremont County Solid Waste Disposal District board member, said he's ready legally to run for U.S. Senate, but he's holding off on a formal announcement for now.

"At this point, we're just exploring," Groutage said.

And Gary Trauner, chairman of the Teton County School Board, said he's considering running for the U.S. House but is just testing the waters for now.

Both men declined to go into detail about their ideology or platforms should they choose to run.